Combined sofa and bed.



W. J. FOUNTAIN.

COMBINED SOFA AND BED. APPLICATION FILED APR.26.1909.

Patented Aug. 24. 1909.

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COMBINED SOFA AND BED.

APPLICATION 11,121) APR.26,1909.

932,264. r Patented Aug. 24. 1909.

ammwcoz M M 4 7 W813? why/2m WILLIAM J'. FOUNTAIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GOMBINED SOFA' AND BED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 26, 1909.

Serial No. 492,224.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. FOUNTAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Sofa and Bed, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a combined sofa and bed, and more particularly to a device of this character in which one section is movable with relation to the other, so that the same may be made to form a sofa or bed at will.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple and efficient means for effecting this change of positions.

It is a further object to provide a sliding arrangement whereby the change in the positions of the parts may be made, that is, the same maybe changed from a sofa to a bed or vice versa, without the necessity of sliding the device from the wall.

It is also an object to provide means to retain the device against the wall while the forward or sliding part is being extended.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out and described in the annexed specification and claims made a part of this application, it being understood that such modifications may be made therein as fairly fall within the scope thereof, as set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device, showing the same in a partly extended position; Fig. 2 is an end View of the device, on the inside thereof, with one of the arms or sides removed, and in position as a sofa; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts extended, in position as a bed; Fig. 4 is a detail front view, in part, showing the operating means.

In said drawings a preferred form of my invention is shown.

The improved sofa-bed may be designated as comprising a stationary section which carries the back of the sofa and the movably sliding section which carries the seat portion.

The sections may be constructed in any desired manner, but as shown in the drawings the movable section preferably comprises end sections consisting of legs 1 provided with suitable casters and having cross-bars 3 secured about midway thereof. The legs are connected by means of a longitudinal brace bar 4 while the cross-bars 3 are connected by longitudinal bars 4 and 5, said legs being also provided with arms 6 having their rear ends recessed or cut away on the inside as shown at 7. The arms 6 are suitably held by intermediate side bars 8, secured between said arms and the cross-bars 3,'by means of connecting rods 9 which support said side bars a little distance above the cross arms and the bars 4 and 5 are braced by transverse connecting bars 10.

J ournaled on the outside of the cross-bars 3 are friction rollers 11, to be hereinafter referred. to.

The stationary section comprises the end sections consisting of the legs 12 and 13 connected by the transverse bars 14 and the legs 12 are connected by a longitudinal brace bar 15. The transverse bars 14 are provided with slots 16 forming extended portions or tongues 17 connected by a brace bar 18, said tongues being held spaced from the legs by means of connecting straps 19 secured on the back of the stationary section.

Secured to the longitudinal connecting bar 5, of the movable or sliding section, by means of hinges 20, is a back portion comrising the side bars 21 connected by the ibngitudinal bars 22 which are suitably braced by means of the inner bars 23, said side bars 21 being adapted to be received in the recesses 7 of the arms 6 when the device is in a folded or sofa form. The upper ends of the legs 12 and 13 are connected by means of arms 24 which are of the same width as the rear ends of the arms 6 and adapted to slide thereunder.

To facilitate the sliding motion of the sections, I connect the back and legs 13 by means of links 25 ada ted to reciprocate within the slots 16, said inks being provided with s rings 26 at their pivotal connections with t 1e legs 13 to assist the returning of the back and the sliding sections to their normal or folded positions. The links 25 are also provided with recesses or notched portions 27 adapted to be engaged by the connecting straps 19 to rigidly hold the back.

Secured on the inner faces of the intermediate'brace bars 28 are outstanding guides or tracks 29 adapted to slide upon the rollers 11 hereinbefore referred to.

The seat and back may be covered or upholstered in any suitable manner, but it is preferable to cover the same with one con- Patented Aug. 24., 1909.

tinuous strip of material, as shown in dotted lines on the drawings.

As all sofas or couches are generally prpvided with casters, and the legs 12 and 13 1n this instance are provided with casters 30 and 31, I have provided means to keep the sofa from moving forward, away from the wall, said means comprising hinged feet 32 extending to take the weight of the SOftMStLlCl feet being retained in a downward position by spring hinges 33. In order to hold said feet up in place when not in use, I prov de bolt catches 34 of any ordinary construction adapted to engage the ends of the feet.

It will thus be seen that when it is desirable to transform the device from a sofa to a bed, the feet 32 are first released from the bolt catches 34 and the sliding section is gripped, preferably by each arm, and pulled forward, this motion being facilitated by the tracks or guides 29 sliding over the rollers 11. This forward motion draws the seat section to an extended position in a horizontal plane, while at the same time the back is thrown downwardly with a swinging motion to form a bed. Owing to the fact that the back is hinged to the seat portion, the forward side thereof is moved or slid forward directly following the rear side of the seat ortion and the linked connection between t e back and the stationary section allows the back to swing downwardly, said back resting on the brace bar 18 in this position, while the links serve to support the back in a raised position, such action being assisted by the springs 26.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that I have provided a combined sofa and bed of simple and durable construction, proving at the same time to be very efficient in operation.

I claim:

1. In a combined sofa and bed, the combination of a pair of roller mounted bed sections, one of which is slidable relatively of the other, a back hingedly connectedto one side of the sliding section to fold downwardly and rest upon the other of said sections when said sliding section is moved, and supplemental legs hinged to the other of said sections to prevent movement thereof.

2. In a combined sofa and bed, the combination of a pair of sections, one a stationary section, and the other a sliding section, a back hinged to one side of said sliding section, and links pivotally connecting said back and said stationary section whereby to lower the back when the sliding section is moved, said links having cut-out portions to engage portions of said stationary section when the back is raised, whereby to support the latter.

3. In a combined sofa and bed, the combination of a pair of sections, supplemental legs hinged to one of said sections to prevent movement, said legs being movable to a position permitting movement of said section, and the other of said sections being freely slidable with respect to said first named section, a back hin ed to one side of said. sliding section, and links pivotally connecting said back and the immovable section whereby to lower the back when the sliding section is moved, said links having cut-out portions to engage portions of said stationary section when the back is raised, whereby to support the latter.

4. In a combined sofa and bed, the combination with a pair of bed sections, one a stationary section and the other a sliding section, said sections comprising end sections suitably connected, outstanding, downwardly extended tracks on the inner faces of the end sections, supporting rollers for said tracks on the outer faces of the end sections of the sliding section, and links connecting said back and the stationary section whereby a shifting of the sliding section forward in a horizontal plane will operate to raise or lower said back to form a sofa. or bed, said links moving in slots formed in the end sections of the stationary section and provided. with notches adapted to rest against braces extending across the rear end of said slots, when the back of the sliding section is in raised position.

5. In. a combined sofa and bed, the combination with a pair of bed supporting sections comprising end sections suitably connected, one of said supporting sections being station ary and the other slidable in relation thereto, tracks carried by the stationary section, rollers carried by the sliding section, over which said tracks travel, of a back hingedly secured to the sliding section, and pivotally secured to said stationary section by means of links, said links moving in slots of the stationary section and springs acting upon said links to assist the raising of said back upon movement of the sliding section.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. FOUNTAIN.

Witnesses:

WM. J. RoBINsoN, NELLIE FELTsKoG. 

